Fish, Fresh and Dried
Fresh fish, in the first place, must be absolutely fresh. They will have
little odor, the eyes will be full and clear, and the flesh firm. They
are usually delivered from the market cleaned and scaled, but they
should be washed with cold water, and sprinkled with salt if not used
immediately.
SMELTS, TROUT AND PERCH
Smelts, trout, perch and other small fish, are fried whole, while the
larger kinds are cut in pieces called fillets. After washing, drying and
seasoning with pepper and salt, each piece should be dipped in finely
rolled, dried bread or corn meal, and laid on the bread-board. When all
through, beginning with the first, dip each one in well-beaten, seasoned
egg, and then in the crumbs again, taking pains to have them covered
completely. Lay back on the board to dry before cooking. Heat a half
cupful of lard in a skillet until smoking hot, then put in the fish and
fry on one side until brown. Turn carefully to avoid breaking, and brown
on the other side, but do not turn more than once, and watch to keep
from burning. Many cooks use flour or rolled crackers for covering the
fish, but the bread crumbs do not hold as much grease, and the fish
always seem to fry better than when dipped in anything else. When cooked
a deep, rich brown, lift out on to brown paper to drain, and then slip
on to a hot platter and send to the table at once, garnished with slices
of lemon, parsley or water cress.
HALIBUT
A halibut steak is fine when, after washing thoroughly, it is put in a
dripping pan, seasoned with salt and pepper, covered with boiling water
and cooked in the oven until done,--from twenty minutes to half an hour.
While it is cooking, our little maid can prepare her favorite white
sauce, only now she must add a cupful of strained tomatoes and season
with red pepper. When the fish is ready, she must serve it on a hot
platter, covered with the hot sauce. A steak of this kind usually weighs
about two pounds, and is ample for four or five people.
WHITE, WEAK AND BLUE FISH
White fish, weak fish, blue fish and similar kinds I like best when
large enough to have the bones first removed and the fish then spread,
skin down, on a wire broiler, or an oak plank. Spread with a little
butter and seasoned with pepper and salt, it may be cooked in a gas
stove or before a hot fire. This will take from twenty to thirty
minutes. When thoroughly done and browned on top, garnish with roses of
mashed potato, lemon or parsley, and serve immediately,--right on the
plank if desired. Any left over can be picked into small pieces, and
worked up with an equal amount of cold mashed potato, into cakes, to be
fried for breakfast.
There are many kinds of smoked and canned fish that make specially
appetizing dishes for breakfast or luncheon. They should always be kept
in the house, with other shelf supplies, and will prove "a friend in
need."
FINNAN HADDIE
Finnan Haddie can be served in several ways. After washing and wiping
off with a cloth, it can be buttered, seasoned with salt and pepper and
either broiled or fried. Or it is even better if boiled first for five
minutes (put on it cold water), then picked into small flakes and
stirred into our little maid's standby, white sauce. After cooking five
minutes longer, it should be served on rounds of hot buttered toast,
garnished with parsley.
SMOKED FISH
Smoked halibut, salmon and sturgeon can all be bought in small pieces
(even as little as half a pound), and are most inviting when cut into
thin slices and made hot in a skillet with just enough butter to keep
them from burning.
SALT COD
But in talking of dried fish, we must not forget our old favorite,
creamed codfish. As the boxed codfish is always so salty, it is
necessary, after picking it carefully apart and removing the bones, to
let it soak in cold water for half an hour, then drain. Put half a
cupful of fish on in a stewpan, cover with cold water and let come to a
boil. Pour this off immediately, cover with fresh boiling water, and let
gently simmer for ten minutes. While it is cooking, our small maid
should rub to a smooth paste one tablespoon of flour and one tablespoon
of butter. Then adding one cup of milk and one well-beaten egg to the
codfish, she next puts in the paste, and continues to stir for five
minutes more while it is cooking. It should then be served on rounds of
hot toast.
[Illustration: CREAMED CODFISH AND COFFEE FOR FATHER'S BREAKFAST]
SALT MACKEREL
Salt mackerel should be covered with cold water and left skin side up to
soak over night. For breakfast, dry in a cloth and broil, with the flesh
side toward the fire, or else brown in a hot pan with a little butter,
and serve on a hot platter garnished with slices of lemon.
I have purposely avoided giving recipes calling for frying in deep fat,
as there is always more or less danger of an inexperienced child meeting
with an accident in handling any quantity of melted lard, but mothers
who wish to use it will find that fritters, fish and other things when
cooked that way get a nice color and really take up less fat than when
fried (sauted) in the more common style.